Since the stones cost so much and the price of shipping to turn in a defective product is also high..... I wonder if there are any stones sold at stores that any of you would recommend? I was thinking that if the warranty covered defects and the shipping was covered by pampered chef then the stone would be worth it but now I'm torn

I didn't find cooking on stone all that great. I don't think it's the be all end all of cooking. They are heavy and hard to remove from the oven even with handles. There's also no edge on the flats so the grease and juices run right off the sides. I just think there's much better products out there.

Since the stones cost so much and the price of shipping to turn in a defective product is also high..... I wonder if there are any stones sold at stores that any of you would recommend? I was thinking that if the warranty covered defects and the shipping was covered by pampered chef then the stone would be worth it but now I'm torn

Sizzlin - I have MANY of their stones. The thing I find about other stones is they are not near as sturdy. PC is the sturdiest I have found so far. With proper use your stone will last forever. You will get some directions with them I'm sure. I remember one person asked the PC rep how to clean them and she said "pour boiling water on them and scrape" - well, I had to speak up! LOL

To season them you cook really grasy stuff the first several times - crescent rolls, one of our favorites was pigs in a blanket, etc. And yes, they are flat, so you can't really make bbq chicken or anything on them. Get the square or the rectagular casserole dish for that. Those are some of my favs too.

I love the white rubber scrapers, the bamboo spoons, there's a small salsa wooden spoon that I use a lot...lots of stuff that is good. They have one of the best garlic presses there is.

I never bought because they are way too expensive. I have gotten some of their items as gifts. The bag-clips, worthless, buy some binder clips or someting at the dollar store. The pan scrapper, don't waste you $, you get the same results with hot water and a wooden spoon. I have the sliding measuring cup and that is great for things like peanut butter or honey becasue you puch it all out like a plunger. Some of their spice blends are okay.

I didn't find cooking on stone all that great. I don't think it's the be all end all of cooking. They are heavy and hard to remove from the oven even with handles. There's also no edge on the flats so the grease and juices run right off the sides. I just think there's much better products out there.

some times i think we get caught up in the gadgets. spend the time on the food, i say. my grandmother cooked very large meals for ten people three times a day. perfect bus quits, pork chops , cakes pies, and good old farm vegs. she cooked to many things to list here.

she worked her miracles on a wood stove. nary a gadget to be seen.

babe

__________________
"life isn't about how to survive the storm but how to dance in the rain"

And this is a two-way street. When a client sees something on a cooking show, they want it--usually right now.

During the latest "santuko frenzy," when a client wanted to cut something, this is what they asked for. They would become troubled that a "real one" might cost over two hundred dollars, and a few costing many times more.

Having said that, they were equally miffed if a $39.00 special santuko went dull after a week. Or required special tools to repair. Or if the tool cost more than the knife. Or if the edge on the cheapie was as good as it was going to get.

For this type of client, I recommended a PC santuko for about 80 bucks and tax. It cut better than average. It had an ergo handle. With a bit of tinkers' voodoo, I could get it scary sharp, and none were ever returned.

Yes, I had to go over the edges and true them up. However, when completed, they were worth the effort.

some times i think we get caught up in the gadgets. spend the time on the food, i say. my grandmother cooked very large meals for ten people three times a day. perfect bus quits, pork chops , cakes pies, and good old farm vegs. she cooked to many things to list here.

she worked her miracles on a wood stove. nary a gadget to be seen.

babe

You don't drive a school bus that broke down today, do you? Oh, sorry, but I'm still crying here, wiping away the tears as I type.

I wouldn't consider a stone a "gadget". Just like cast iron, if treated properly, they last a lifetime. You have to know how to use them. Surely one wouldn't expect to cook something with run-off grease and not have issues. That's not what the flat stones are for. There are other stones to cook things like that in. Or just another pan altogether. I love the stones because they are so very easy to clean up, no matter what. I just baked a rustic-type blueberry and cherry cobbler on a stone and the juices ran and became this solidified, burned on, candy mess. Within a few minutes of soaking in water it came right off. And no, it's not the be all and end all of cooking - but they sure are easy to use, very even cooking with nothing burning on the bottom like conventional cookie sheets/pans, and cleanup is a breeze!

There are tools, invented in these later years, that are very useful. There are those that are not. One must know how to use them in order to make them useful.

Of course people have cooked for thousands and thousands of years with what was available at the time. But if your grandmother had to slice a LOT of cucumber, or potatoes, or something like that, you can't tell me she wouldn't have been thrilled to have had a mandolin!!!

I really like my PC garlic press. I've never really tried any other kind though, but it's durable and dishwasher-safe and it works great for me. I also have a PC measuring cup that holds 2 cups of "stuff". It has a cup inserted with a clear edge around it. You push the inner part up and it scrapes the sides clean so you don't have the shortening or peanut butter mess. I'm having a hard time describing it and I can't find a picture. Maybe I'll post one if it's something you are interested in.

My mom has the apple slicer and it works really well too. I really like my orange peeler but it's not anything special. I just like having one.

Thanks everyone for your input. No I too don't consider a stone a gadget. I'm mainly interested in the stone to bake pizzas. I want to start really trying to get the whole homemade crust thing down and I think I'll get better results baking it on stone vs a pizza pan.

I've made up my mind.....I'm buying the pizza stone from PC. And I think I'll pick up the garlic press too. Thanks again everyone!